"Solange Michel presents a Carmen of the old school. Her voice is really more contralto in quality and her diction suggests not so much a sensual gipsy as an actress at the Comedie-Francaise. Nevertheless, there is something fascinating and endearing about her portrayal. One simply could not find anyone today who sounds like her – and yet she was the favourite Carmen at the Opera-Comique, where she sang the role at the 2, 500th performance there and went on to notch up 500 of her own! Michel Dens is a swaggering Escamillo and Martha Angelici a convincing Michaela. Of course, with such heavy competition where Carmen on CD is concerned, this set is valuable principally as a document of the opera's performing tradition." -- Gramophone (9/1995)